Colton Herta gets US drive amid future uncertainty

Colton Herta will feature for Cadillac at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix as uncertainty surrounds his F1 future. 

The former IndyCar driver will take to the track in first practice at the Circuit of the Americas.

Colton Herta to make F1 outing in the United States

When not a sprint event, the United States Grand Prix is one of the popular late-season races in which to complete one of the four mandatory rookie sessions.

This year is no exception for Cadillac, with F2 driver Herta confirmed to be making his fourth appearance of the year, following on from drives in Barcelona, Hungary and Monza.

The American will replace Sergio Perez, as Cadillac looks to build on a promising Singapore Grand Prix, where both cars reached the chequered flag.

“Driving the MAC-26 in front of the American fans at COTA is going to be special,” said Herta.

“I have great memories at this track – winning my first IndyCar race here back in 2019 was a huge moment in my career, so stepping into an F1 car on this layout feels like coming full circle.

“I’ve built up a good rhythm with the team through my previous FP1 runs in Barcelona, Budapest, and Monza, so my goal for Friday morning is straightforward: execute the test program cleanly, help the engineers gather good data on the setup, and hand the car back to Checo with some useful feedback to support the team for the rest of the weekend.”

More on Colton Herta from PlanetF1.com

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Herta clarifies Formula 2 stance as Cadillac future remains unclear

Colton Herta ‘no interest’ in second F2 campaign

Herta made the step across from IndyCar to F2 this year in a bid to secure the additional superlicence points required to be eligible for an F1 drive.

However, he has spent much of the campaign stuck in the midfield, and has long been out of the championship picture.

“I’ve actually always assumed it would be difficult because I know the standard,” Herta said last month.

“I’ve raced against drivers who’ve been successful in Formula 2, and also against drivers who’ve moved from Formula 2 to IndyCar and performed well there.

“So I know how fast these drivers are – there was never any doubt about that. I knew from the start that it would be a challenge.”

Confirming his stance on continuing in the junior category, he added: “I think we’ll just have to wait and see. But I’m not interested in another year in Formula 2.”

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